The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to methodologies and strategies for helping an enterprise develop and manage customer relationships in an organized way. A CRM system typically refers to a software-based solution implemented on one or more computer devices that collect, organize, and manage customer and sales information. Most CRM systems include features that allow an enterprise to track and record interactions, including emails, documents, jobs, faxes, and scheduling. These systems typically focus on accounts rather than on individual contacts. They also generally include opportunity insight for tracking sales pipelines, and can include added functionality for marketing and service. Other CRM systems also offer sales force automation features that streamline all phases of the sales process. For example, such CRM systems can support tracking and recording every stage in the sales process for each prospective client, from initial contact to final disposition. In addition, CRM systems can support enterprise marketing, technical/customer support and service, event and meeting calendaring, and predictive analytics.
Typically, a CRM system can collect, store, and analyze volumes of information depending on the various features supported. This information can be accessed by enterprise personnel across different groups, such as marketing, sales, technical support, and in some cases, by customers and external business partners. Accordingly, a CRM system can support and encourage collaboration between enterprise groups, and can help an enterprise to understand and to identify its customer needs, and effectively to build relationships between the enterprise, its customer base, and external partners. A single user may be responsible for a particular set of CRM accounts with some distinct characteristic, such as a single territory, and may be referred to as an account executive, a sales representative, or a sales representative.